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When this detailed
construction of the Messerschmitt "Jaguar" bomber appeared in the October 1941
issue of Flying Aces magazine, not many Americans suspected that within
weeks the Japanese would bomb Pearl Harbor and draw the country formally into
World War II. That included the other primary "Axis" power, Germany.
Jaguars had been routinely dropping bombs all over Europe for years. News of the
increasing aggressiveness of Hitler's hoards fill newspaper front pages and
nightly news on radio (not many televisions at the time), but that was "over
there," not on our shores. Out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes. As
with so many other areas of technology, the Germans were very good aircraft
designers and builders. The Jaguar was considered a medium range bomber. It had
a wingspan of 55 feet, similar to the
De Havilland Mosquito bomber with a 54 foot wingspan. By comparison, the
Mitchell B−25 had a 67 foot wingspan.
Construction Details of the Messerschmitt "Jaguar"
by Leonard Wieczorek
 
Posted July 29, 2023
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